Embracing Sicily – 8 days/7 nights

Visit as much Sicily as you can in this spectacular 8 days fully escorted tour of Sicily. This tour operates in English only! Visit Taormina, Mount Etna, Siracusa, Agrigento, Segesta, Marsala, Trapani, Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Corleone and Ficuzza.

Day 1: FRIDAY : CATANIA-TAORMINA

Arrival in Catania airport. Meet our driver and private transfer to your hotel. Meeting with the participants. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 2: SATURDAY: TAORMINA- MOUNT ETNA-TAORMINA

Buffet breakfast at hotel and morning walking tour of Taormina’s charming city center includes the Greek/Roman amphitheatre, with its spectacular view of Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Enjoy the excursion to Mount Etna, till 1800 meters and visit the Sylvester Craters where you can enjoy the best views, as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on ancient volcanic eruptions. Tonight you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many colorful restaurants of Taormina.

Day 3: SUNDAY: TAORMINA-SIRACUSA-(optional tour to SAVOCA,FORZA D’AGRO’)-TAORMINA

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and experience an included excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this venerable city highlights the Archaeological Park, Greek Theater, Latomia del Paradiso and Cave of Dyonisius’ Ear. On the way back to Taormina, we offer a once in a lifetime experience. You may take an optional “Godfather” tour featuring the authentic villages chosen by Francis Coppola for most of the scenes in the Godfather movies. This is a good way to explore the real untouched Sicilian countryside, local lifestyle and culture. This evening savor a special Sicilian dinner with wine in a restaurant characteristic of this region

Day 4: MONDAY: TAORMINA-AGRIGENTO-PALERMO

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a guided tour of the valley, dating back to the 5th century B.C. The poet Pindar described the site “as the most beautiful city built by mortal men”, The Doric style temples, all constructed within a century, face east, a standard criteria for both Greek and Roman temples so the statue of the god housed in each temple faced the rising sun. The best temple is that of Concordia (similar in design to the Partenon in Athens) which is an almost perfectly preserved condition. Your local guide will highlight the history and architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure-trove. After visiting the Valley of the Temples, resume travel to Palermo, where you arrive in the evening in time for an enjoyable and relaxing dinner at your hotel.

Day 5: TUESDAY: PALERMO-SEGESTA- MARSALA-TRAPANI-PALERMO

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and journey to Segesta, a large archaeological zone, with a magnificent Doric Temple, 420 B.C to 430 B.C., located within a beautiful and natural setting that ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek architectural sites. Continue to the sea town of Marsala, re-discovered in the 18th century by English merchant John Woodhouse and known for its sweet wines. Visit a wine cellar and sample some Marsala during a special wine tasting session. Drive along Trapani’s coastline and stop for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant and return to Palermo. Your tour director can suggest many interesting quality restaurants that offer ambiance and traditional local cuisine for dinner on your own.

Day 6: WEDNESDAY: PALERMO-MONREALE – (optional tour to CEFALU’) – PALERMO

Buffet breakfast at enjoy a morning tour of Palermo, a city full of character, features Quattro Canti – a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Here you will admire a 12th century cathedral, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments. Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or take an optional tour with your tour director to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalù. Dinner at your hotel.

Day 7: THURSDAY: PALERMO-CORLEONE-FICUZZA-PALERMO

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and enjoy this special day dedicated to one of the famoust social phenomena in Sicily. We will depart in the morning to the inland of Sicily and specifically to the area of Corleone, known for being the place where Mafia phenomena was born but also know nowadays for being the place where Mafia is firmely fought. We will firstly participate to an interesting and accurate cooking lesson: we will be able to prepare some of the most genuine and traditional Sicilian dishes (only for who desires to participate to the cooking lesson). After the cooking lesson, enjoy this special lunch. After lunch, we will experience an interesting LECTURE on Mafia. One of the inhabitants of Corleone, born in the UK, will present a fascinating discussion on the topic of the Sicilian Mafia but also explaining the origins and the way how Corleone inhabitants has taken to eliminate organized crime. Back to Palermo. In the evening, bid arrivederci to your travel companions during a festive farewell dinner with delectable cuisine and sparkling in a fashionable restaurant.

Day 8: FRIDAY: PALERMO

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Private transfer to Palermo airport. End of our services.

Tour Includes:

A unique and new experience, explore one of the most beautiful and less known regions of Italy: Abruzzo. Only a couple of hours from Rome and you will find yourself in a charming territory featuring the highest mountains of central Italy, a National Park, Olives and Wine factories, beautiful beaches with crystal clear water and white sand, not to forget the food! From meats, home made pastas to exceptional fresh fish from the Adriatic sea. Abruzzo is a must see region of Italy, trust the experts!  Click here to view some short escapes packages from Rome. Southern Abruzzo , In the Hearth of Abruzzo , Abruzzo and National Park